Linux Kernel Vulnerability in Wifi Client Probing Mechanism

CVE-2023-53588

What is CVE-2023-53588?

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel affects the mac80211 module responsible for managing Wifi connections. Specifically, the issue arises during the client probing phase, where the system fails to verify the existence of a client before checking the channel context. This lack of verification can lead to unnecessary warnings triggered by attempts to probe clients when the Access Point (AP) is not fully operational. To mitigate this issue, it's essential for the kernel to first confirm if the client is established, which would imply that the AP is active. This change not only enhances the validation process but also streamlines the associated code for improved performance.

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